Anxiety disorders differ from common anxiety expressed in different ways and through various symptoms:

* Overwhelming feelings of panic
* Uncontrollable obsessive thoughts
* Painful memories or nightmares
* Physical symptoms of anxiety such as digestive upset, heart palpitations, muscle tension, shortness of breath, feeling of “a ball” in the throat or dizziness, among others.

If anxiety disorders go untreated, it can lead people into avoiding situations that cause or worsen symptoms. People with anxiety disorders are more likely to suffer from depression and also may abuse alcohol and other drugs in an effort to relieve symptoms. The job performance and academic, personal relationships and quality of life, may also be affected.

There are different types of anxiety disorders

1. Panic disorder
2. Phobias
3. PTSD
4. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
5. Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Panic disorder: Due to the severity of symptoms, many people with panic disorder believe they are suffering a heart attack or other disease risk.

Phobias A phobia is an excessive and persistent fear of an object, situation or activity. These fears cause such distress that some people go to extremes to avoid what they fear. You can diagnose a person has a phobia only when their fear is so intense that it significantly interferes with normal daily activities.

Disorder Post-Traumatic Stress: The posttraumatic stress disorder occurs in people who have survived a severe or terrifying, whether physical or emotional. Those affected may have recurrent nightmares, intrusive thoughts or may even moments where the event seems to happen again. They feel extreme distress when in circumstances that recall the trauma, and go to extremes to avoid these situations.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Obsessions are recurrent intrusive, irrational thoughts. Cause great anxiety and can not be controlled by reason. Some common obsessions include preoccupations with dirt or germs, nagging doubts and the need to have things in a very particular order. To minimize these obsessions, many people suffering from obsessive-compulsive, repetitive behaviors or compulsions are very disruptive in daily life.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: People with generalized anxiety disorder suffer severe and ongoing tensions that interfere with daily functioning. They worry constantly and feel helpless to control these worries. Often, their concerns are focused on their job responsibilities, the health of your family or minor matters such as chores, car repairs or appointments. It is possible that these people have sleep problems; tension or muscle aches and feel tremors, weakness and frequent headaches. People with this disorder may be irritable and often have problems in order to consult and work efficiently.

The decision to seek help

Unfortunately, many people with anxiety disorders do not seek help. Not realize that they have a disease with known causes and effective treatments. Other people fear their family, friends or coworkers might criticize them if they get help deciding to try to hide their symptoms.

The first step is a consultation with a doctor to rule out any medical condition that may mimic an anxiety disorder (endocrine disruption, hematological or cardiac diseases etc.).

Treatment

Although each anxiety disorder has its own characteristics, most people respond well to two types of treatment: psychotherapy and medication. Treatment can relieve symptoms significantly, but not always a complete cure.

There are several effective medications and psychotherapies. Because treatment often requires several weeks to work best, a psychiatrist should follow the patient’s progress and make necessary modifications.